Help Protect Clean Sport - ukad.org.uk · Help Protect Clean Sport. A guide for parents and carers of ... the inadvertent or accidental use of a prohibited substance. This may be

BUKAD | Help Protect Clean Sport

Help Protect Clean Sport

A guide for parents and carers of talented athletes

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DUKAD | Help Protect Clean Sport

Contents01 Introduction

07 Making sure your child competes clean

11 The supplement decision

15 The basics of testing

21 How UKAD can help

1 UKAD | Help Protect Clean Sport

IntroductionWhether your child is firmly on their way to elite sport or just enjoying participating, sport needs your help. You will already be engaged in your child’s sporting progress, but you may also be a keen participant or an avid supporter of major teams and sporting events. Either way, you will understand the importance of upholding the true spirit of sport as a team or an individual athlete competing in their pursuit of glory.

2UKAD | Help Protect Clean Sport

Anything that makes the competition unfair – and doping in particular – undermines the essence of sport. The emotion we feel when we realise that what we witnessed was not true damages our relationship with sport, and the sport itself. This is why we need your help in our mission to protect the integrity of sport and ensure that when your child puts in their best performance, the competition is fair.

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What is my role?

As a parent or carer you have a crucial role to play in supporting your child in their development as a clean athlete. You have a major influence on the values and behaviours they adopt, and this has a direct impact – alongside other factors such as motivation and their sporting environment – on whether in the pressure of performing, they choose to engage in doping.

We realise that you also have many other roles: first and foremost you are your child’s number one fan, but you’re probably also the nutritionist, doctor, banker, taxi driver and psychologist for your child. All of these roles have a part to play in their development as an athlete.

This resource is designed to help you understand what you can do as a parent or carer to help your child understand their anti-doping responsibilities and actively promote and maintain the integrity of clean sport. It also contains guidance on spotting the signs when your child is under pressure, so you can support them through tough times avoiding risky behaviours and possible doping decisions.

We need you, as parents or carers of a talented athlete, to help us achieve our aim of clean sport for everyone, starting with supporting your athletes to be clean and stay clean at all times.

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The risks andconsequences In order to minimise risk, it is important that you have a good understanding of the risks your child might face and where they are going to be exposed to them.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is responsible for global anti-doping rules (known as the World Anti-Doping Code) and regulations and publishes a list of prohibited substances and methods (known as the Prohibited List).

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), as the national anti-doping organisation in the UK, implements the UK’s Anti-Doping Policy (that aligns to the Code), enforces the 10 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and helps sports to adopt anti-doping rules and implement an anti-doping programme, including educating athletes to ensure they train and compete clean.

It is vital you understand that the definition of doping is greater than a positive test. There are 10 ADRVs that athletes can be sanctioned for:

1. Test positive for a prohibited substance or method.

2. Use or attempt to use a prohibited substance or method.

3. Evade, refuse or fail to provide a sample once selected for a test.

4. Have three missed tests or fail to provide accurate Whereabouts information in a 12-month period.

5. Make any attempt to tamper with the doping control process.

6. Possess a prohibited substance or method.

7. Traffic a prohibited substance or method.

8. Make any attempt to administer a prohibited substance or method.

9. Are complicit in helping someone commit an ADRV or avoid detection.

10. Associate with anyone found guilty of an ADRV or criminal or disciplinary offence equivalent to an ADRV.

ADRVs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 also apply to any coaches and wider athlete support personnel your athlete may be supported by.

You can find out more information on these violations on the UKAD website at www.ukad.org.uk.



From 1 January 2015, the consequences for breaking the rules became greater. Those found deliberately doping will face a four-year ban and there is less leniency for carelessness whereby those who inadvertently break the rules are more likely to receive a two-year ban.

You may be surprised to learn that the greatest risk to a clean athlete is the inadvertent or accidental use of a prohibited substance. This may be present in medication or a supplement product they are taking. Under anti-doping rules, even if an athlete uses a prohibited substance accidentally, the consequences may be the same as if the action had been deliberate. This is because there is a principle of Strict Liability.

The consequences of doping are serious and wide ranging. In the act of doping, the athlete is placing themselves at a significant health risk before even considering the impact this decision can have on their career and those around them. You can see how devastating the consequences are in case study examples of those found guilty of committing an ADRV in the sanctions section on the UKAD website.

Athletes found to have committed an ADRV could be subject to a ban from sport. In reality this means they will be unable to train or compete in any form of sport for the duration of their ban and they will not be able to use any National Governing Body (NGB) licensed facility. They are likely to lose funding and access to the coaches they are working with.

There are also social and psychological implications of being banned and labelled a drugs cheat. Athletes may face scrutiny from the media, and will certainly have to explain themselves to their coaches, fellow athletes, teammates, friends – and of course, to you and your family. Having worked so hard to support your child’s career, you and other people may struggle to come to terms with their action.

Strict LiabilityYour child is completely responsible for any prohibited substance they use, attempt to use or is found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether they had an intention to cheat or not. They will face the sanction and the consequences regardless of the circumstances which led to this. You need to understand what this means for you and your child’s sporting career.


Making Sure Your Child Competes Clean

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There are lots of practical things you can do to minimise the risk of inadvertent doping and ensure your child meets their anti-doping responsibilities and continues to make the right decisions.

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Checking medicationsIn order to best support your child, ensure you can confidently answer these questions.

• Do you have a medicine cupboard that your child uses or has access to, or are you responsible for providing medication to your child?

• Do you know everything that is in there?

• Can you be certain there are no prohibited substances in any of the products? Even over-the-counter remedies for coughs and flu can contain prohibited substances.

• Do you know exactly what your GP is prescribing for your child, and whether there are prohibited substances within it?

• Do you and your child know how to check medications to ensure they do not contain any prohibited substances?

Athletes can check medication they take using a website called Global DRO (www.globaldro.com), to be certain that they avoid taking medications which may contain prohibited substances. You can do this for all the medications – prescribed ones as well as those bought over the counter – that you keep in the house and make certain that the whole family is aware of this.

Global DRO can be used to check any medication bought in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and Switzerland. It will check all the ingredients against the WADA Prohibited List and give you an instant answer on the status of the medication. You must enter the full brand name of the product and give some information regarding where you bought it and the sport in which the athlete competes, all of which should take less than five minutes.

When checking medication on Global DRO, the status of the substance will be provided for in-competition and out-of-competition and will be one of the following:

• Prohibited – The substance is prohibited in this form and will return a positive test if found in an athlete’s system.

• Conditional – There is a limit to the amount of this substance an athlete can have present in their body, or there are conditions on the methods of its use (e.g. it can only be inhaled and not taken in tablet form). This is clearly detailed and care should be taken when taking a prescribed dose.

• Not prohibited – The substance is not currently on the WADA Prohibited List.

Consulting your doctor It is of vital importance that when visiting the doctor, you ensure that they are fully aware of your child’s participation in sport and the extra care they must take with medications. You can access Global DRO on a smartphone, so why not check the medication before the GP prescribes it?

What if the medication prescribed by the doctor contains a prohibited substance?

Firstly, ask the GP if there are any alternatives to the medication they are prescribing which do not contain the ingredient. If this is not possible, and it is vital that the medication is taken to treat a condition, then your child may be eligible to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) which, if granted, will enable the use of the substance. To find out more visit TUE’s on the UKAD webiste, www.ukad.org.uk


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The Supplement Decision



Supplement risksThere is no guarantee that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances.

First things first, assess the need.

Prior to using supplements it is important that young athletes, particularly when still growing and developing, assess the need to use them. Are there other ways to improve training and performance? Could they achieve gains through adaptations to their diet or better rest and recovery strategies?

The food first approach of a good balanced diet combined with the principles of sports nutrition should provide your child with the energy they need.

Nutritional deficiencies diagnosed by a medical professional – a lack of iron, for example – may be an exception where a supplement is required for young athletes.You should consult a medical professional for nutritional advice to ensure that any decision to use a supplement is valid and justified.

Now, assess the risk.

There is a risk when taking supplements that they may contain a prohibited substance.

Contamination is a risk associated with supplement use, and counterfeit supplement products have been reported among those purchased over the Internet. All athletes have the responsibility to undertake thorough research of any supplement product prior to use. Many inadvertent doping cases involve supplements.

Informed-Sport provides a batch-testing service to the supplement industry and tests supplements against a number of – but not all – prohibited substances, to reduce the risk of known contamination. To find out if a product has been batch tested, visit www.informed-sport.com.

Remember, even with batch testing, there is no guarantee that any supplement is completely free of prohibited substances.

Lastly, assess the consequences – the athlete could receive a four-year ban from all sport.

Social drugsYour child will not only be influenced by their sporting peers and role models, but also by their own friendship groups outside sport. Both you and your child need to be aware that social drugs such as cannabis and cocaine, which are illegal, are also on the Prohibited List.

While temptation to experiment may exist, to take a ‘break’ from being an athlete with their regimented diet and training, or just wanting to join in, all athletes are role models. They need to remember there is no place for social drug use in sport. Damaged reputations are hard to recover from.

Athletes are always looking to make marginal gains to improve performance, whether it’s through training, recovery, hydration or nutrition. Athletes sometimes use supplements, but it is important to understand there are risks involved.


The Basics of Testing

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Testing is part and parcel of sport and should be seen as a positive service to athletes, helping them to demonstrate that they train and compete cleanly. UKAD tests athletes in order to:

1. Provide public assurance that an athlete’s performance is clean.

2. Act as a deterrent to a doping decision.3. Detect doping, finding those who choose to cheat.


• To be accompanied to the Doping Control Station by a representative of their choice, and an interpreter, if required and available (more information below).

• Your child will be observed providing their urine sample by a DCO/Chaperone of the same gender as them (more information below).

• Your child will receive a copy of the Doping Control Form after the test has finished.

• Confidentiality – no name should be on any documentation that is to be sent to the laboratory.

• Request a delay (under strict circumstances - more information below).

• Request a modification to the doping control process where the athlete is a minor or has an impairment.

UKAD’s urine testing procedurePlease note, the following information is based on UKAD’s own testing procedures. There may be some slight differences between UKAD’s testing procedures and other Anti-Doping organisations.

Remember, testing should be seen as a positive service to athletes. The process is outlined by the DCP and athlete’s and/or representatives can ask for as much information throughout. The process of testing is the same for both adults and Minors, however there are some modifications required for Minors.

The basics of testingFirst thing to remember is that athletes can be tested anywhere and at any time. Athletes’ can be asked to provide urine and/or blood samples and will always be chaperoned throughout the process.

UKAD strongly encourages all athletes to take a representative with them if notified for testing. This representative may well be you, the parent, carer or guardian, but it could also be their coach, physio or another support person. As a representative, you should ensure that you are happy with the testing process at any stage, so do ask questions if you are not. Your child, the athlete, is also entitled to ask questions at any stage of the process to ensure that they too are happy and confident.

RepresentativesAny athlete has the right to have a representative present with them throughout the testing process. Doping Control Personnel (DCP) will ensure all athletes understand the role of the representative. If an athlete exercises the right, then the DCP should ensure a representative is present for the duration that the athlete is in the Doping Control Station (DCS). However, if the athlete (Minors included) insists on not having a representative, even after the role is explained, then the DCP will proceed as normal.

Your child, the athlete, has a number of rights and responsibilities within the testing procedure that are important to remember. These rights and responsibilities are as follows:

• To be notified by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer (DCO) with official identification and evidence of his/her authority from an anti-doping organisation.


On arrival at the DCS the issue must be referred to the Blood Collection Officer (BCO), who will consult with the Lead/ Out-of-Competition DCO on whether a blood sample can be collected.

For a standard blood test, athletes are required to remain in a normal seated position with feet on the floor for a minimum of 10 minutes before providing a sample. For a passport test, the athlete cannot provide a sample until 2 hours have passed since they last performed strenuous exercise. The athlete must also remain in a normal seated position for a minimum of 10 minutes prior to sample collection (included as part of the 2 hours following exercise).

Following the required rest period, the athlete is then directed through the process of selecting blood sample packs, providing a sample (in a seated position where possible), athlete aftercare post sample collection, sealing the sample and finally completing the relevant paperwork.

The Doping Control Personnel (DCP)UK Anti-Doping has a network of highly qualified Doping Control Personnel (DCP) who oversee the doping control process. The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will:

• Be of the same gender as your child when witnessing the sample. They may not be the same gender for processing the sample, notifying and chaperoning the athlete.

• Have received full training and have been accredited for their role.

• Will have gone through a thorough DBS (security and vetting) process.

As a parent and carer of or an athlete, it may be helpful to know the stages of a test.

Firstly, your child will be notified of selection for testing. An adult must be present for notification of Minors. Your child is then required to report to the Doping Control Station (DCS) immediately and will be chaperoned for the whole process. An athlete has the right to ask for a delay in reporting to the DCS. However, these are under strict circumstances such as; attending an award ceremony, warming down, medical treatment, locating photo ID, further competition, finding a representative or justified exceptional circumstances.

During the process the DCP will explain the testing procedure in detail to, to your child, the athlete, and representative (if present). Your child will then be guided through selecting their sample collection vessel before being chaperoned to the toilet to proceed with providing their urine sample under supervision. Please remember, the DCP must have an unobstructed view of the passing of the urine. Once the sample has been provided, your child is then chaperoned back to the DCS where they will select their sampling kit, followed by dividing and sealing the sample, testing the concentration of the sample and finally recording and certifying the information. If your child, the athlete, does have a representative, they will sign the Doping Control Form as a witness to the proceedings.

Blood testing procedureFor athletes that have been selected for blood testing only, the notification process is the same as urine testing. Prior to the sample collection the DCO will explain the blood sample collection procedure to the athlete (including modifications for Minors). If during notification the athlete provides a reason why they are unable to provide a blood sample, the Chaperone/DCO should continue with the notification as normal.


• Accurately and adequately completing the procedures and administrative duties.

The BCO will be a trained, active and experienced phlebotomist with comprehensive and up-to-date First Aid knowledge. They will assist the Lead/ Out-of-Competition DCO to ensure the sample collection and processing area meets strict criteria. The BCO will explain the blood sampling procedure to the athlete, including aftercare processes post sample collection.

The Blood Collection Officer (BCO)The Blood Collection Officer is responsible for carrying out blood sample collection duties. This includes:

• Ensuring sufficient blood is collected.

• Maintaining the security of the area for sample collection.


to be aware that by not giving parental consent you could be stopping your child competing. It is the role of your NGB to check that consent is in place, not UKAD.

To support your child it is important to understand the basics of the testing procedure in relation to Minors. First thing to remember is Minors must be notified with an adult present, whether this is another member of the Doping Control Personnel (DCP), a coach, a manager and so on. If an adult is not present, notification will be paused until another adult can be located to be present at the notification. The athlete may be chaperoned by the DCP member to locate another adult. At no point will the DCP be left alone with an unaccompanied Minor following notification.

Minors’ rights and responsibilities are identical to those of an adult. During a urine sample collection, a DCP of the same gender will ask for an unobstructed view of the passing of the urine sample. Therefore, they will ask the athlete to remove any clothing that obstructs that view (i.e. shirt pulled to mid-torso, sleeves rolled up and trousers pulled down to mid-thigh). The DCP must always have a representative (second observer) present observing them during the sample collection. This may be another member of the DCP or another adult approved by the Lead Doping Control Officer (DCO). This second observer may be accompanied by the athlete’s representative. Neither the second observer or the athlete’s representative should directly observe the passing of the urine, unless requested by the athlete.

In-competition and out-of-competition testingIt is important to know that some substances are prohibited in-competition only and others are prohibited at all times.

In-Competition - Unless otherwise stated, the in-competition period is usually defined as 12-hours before the competition your child, the athlete, is participating in, until all testing relating to that competition has finished.

This means, regardless of when the substance was taken (for example 3 days before the competition) if it shows up in their sample, they may have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Out-of-Competition - This is defined as all other times outside of the in-competition period. Remember, athletes can be tested any time and any place, and substances prohibited out-of-competition are prohibited at all times.

Refusing a test, or a positive test are only two of the ways in which your child, can break the anti-doping rules. Don’t forget there are 10 ADRV’s athletes can be sanctioned for. So always encourage your child to undertake their test if they are notified and to understand they are strictly liable for what is found within their body.

Testing of minors (Under 18’s)As a parent or guardian of a Minor (under 18) you will have to give consent to your NGB to ensure you are happy for your child to be selected for doping control. This can be done through a variety of ways such as, NGB membership agreements or competition registration. It is important


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The modification for athletes with a physical impairment are as follows:

• The DCP are to discreetly ask the athlete how they will provide the sample and if they require assistance. The athlete must get their representative to sign off any documentation if they are unable to sign themselves.

• For urine samples, if the athlete requires a catheter or drainage system they must provide this equipment themselves. The DCP will observe the route of drainage. If the athlete uses a leg bag, the DCP will ask them to use a new one for the testing procedure. If this is not possible the athlete will be asked to fully drain the existing bag. For athletes using self-catheterisation, it is preferable that a new sealed catheter should be used. If the athlete requires assistance with the sample provision this should be done by the representative. The representative can also assist of the dividing and sealing of samples. If a representative is not available for these stages, then the DCO may assist but another member of the DCP must check the sample bottle is tightly secure.

• For blood samples, if the sample bottle is sealed by the DCO, the accompanying representative must check this. If not another member of the DCP or BCO.

The modifications for athletes with intellectual impairment are as follows:

• The athlete must have a representative present for the testing procedure.

Testing for athletes with an impairment (visual, physical or intellectual) Like Minors, testing of athletes with an impairment whether this is visual, physical or intellectual, have some modifications within the testing procedure that may be helpful to understand.

The modifications for athletes with a visual impairment are as follows:

• An athlete must have a representative present to be a witness throughout the doping control process, including notification, sample division, and completion of the paperwork. This must not be a member of the DCP and the witnesses name will be recorded on the DCF.

• For urine sample provision the DCP must have a representative to act as a second observer irrespective of whether the athlete requests their representative to be present.

• The athlete can request for a representative or DCO to assist on the sample division.

• For blood testing, athletes must have a representative present during sample collection, sample sealing and completion of paperwork.


Support and guidance for you The thought of testing can be daunting, not only for your child, but for you as a parent as well.

It is vital that you as the parent feel confident in your understanding of the testing procedure and what to expect. UKAD are happy to answer any questions you may have on the testing procedure and remember, throughout the testing procedure your child, and you, the representative, are welcome to ask as many questions to the DCP as you need.

Finally, testing is a positive service helping to protect the integrity of sport. All DCP involved in the testing procedures are trained fully and have been through thorough DBS checks as part of their application. If you or your child would like more information after reading this leaflet then please head to the UKAD website where you can find more information on the testing procedure.

UKAD is here to support both you and your child.

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How UKAD Can Help


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100% me is UKAD’s athlete eduation programme, which is delivered at various stages of their development. The aim is to make sure athletes can say that their achievements are clean.

100% meThe education programme aims to provide fun, interactive and relevant anti-doping information to athletes, helping them to learn about clean sport and enabling them to make the right decisions. 100% me is underpinned by an ethos that we want all athletes to be able to stand on the podium and state that it was all ‘100% me’. 100% me is built on the five following values. These values play an important part in embedding the spirit of sport into any athletes’ sporting career. By reinforcing these values from a young age, athletes are likely to look to them when facing difficult decisions.

• Passion• Respect• Integrity• Determination• Enjoyment

100% me is there for athletes at all stages of their career. Encourage your child to look at the athletes area on the UKAD website at www.ukad.org.uk/athletes


Clean Sport Advisor Programme We encourage you to become an Clean Sport Advisor to help your child and other athletes around them. Many parents like you have undertaken our programme and found it beneficial in being able to provide the right advice and guidance.

For more information on how to become an Clean Sport Advisor, visit the the Learning Zone on the UKAD website, www.ukad.org.uk. Register to complete the course and receive your certificate at the end. The course doesn’t take long and offers valuable information to support your role.

UKAD’s final word• Encourage hard work, commitment

and taking personal responsibility, promote a balanced diet and positive lifestyle choices – and remind them of the consequences of being caught cheating.

• Being a great athlete takes a long time – allow them to enjoy the highs and lows of the journey and keep things in perspective. Goal setting is a great tool to achieve

realistic and achievable milestones in an athletes career. Remind them they are still developing physically, mentally and socially.

• Understand the concept of Strict Liability and ensure your child is fully aware of their anti-doping responsibilities as an athlete.

• Use Global DRO to check medications are safe to take. Remind your child to tell any healthcare professional that they are an athlete and have to abide by anti-doping rules.

• Keep a list of all medication your child is taking on your phone or in your diary, ensuring they have been checked.

• Remember, there is no guarantee that any supplement is free from prohibited substances. Always assess the need, the risk and the consequences before making any decisions. Inadvertent doping can have just as severe consequences.

• Ensure you and your child are familiar with the testing procedure; a video is available on the UKAD website.

• Visit the UKAD website and sign up to become an Clean Sport Advisor.

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Help Protect Clean Sport - ukad.org.uk · Help Protect Clean Sport. A guide for parents and carers of ... the inadvertent or accidental use of a prohibited substance. This may be